Prevalence and determinants of depression after acute stroke at tertiary care rural hospital in India: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Depression is commonly unrecognized, undertreated, and associated with poor functional outcomes in stroke patients. There is a paucity of data available on post-stroke depression in India, especially in rural areas. The study aimed to bridge the existing knowledge gap by estimating the prevalence and identifying determinants of depression in post-acute stroke patients within rural settings by using standardized tools. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary rural hospital setting. Participants included post-acute stroke patients aged 18 years and above of either sex, admitted to the hospital between October 2020 and September 2022. Depression was assessed using standardized tools, and DSMV Criteria, and severity was assessed using Hamilton Rating Score. Results: Out of 80 stroke patients, the majority 62.5% of patients were male, and 68.8% of patients were older than 60 years of age. 37.5% of patients had co-morbidities, the most common co-morbidity was hypertension, followed by diabetes. 28.7% of patients had an addiction history, majority were tobacco chewers. The prevalence of depression in post-acute stroke patients in this study was 58.7%. Depression was common in male patients older than 60 years of age (57%) and patients with right hemisphere infarcts (58.3%). Depression has an inverse relation with co-morbidities and addiction. Conclusion: This study revealed a high prevalence of depression and helped to understand demographic and clinical determinants among post-acute stroke patients in a rural setting, which provides insight for healthcare personnel to routinely assess the mental health of post-stroke patients.

Keywords

• post-stroke
• depression
• rural
• hamilton rating score
• stroke